Home working guide for business owners and their employees

Working from home is becoming increasingly popular, and it’s not just the big corporates who are offering their staff the chance to work away from the office.

Changes in the law mean that employers are now legally obliged to consider seriously flexible working (for example, working from home or from different locations, working flexible, or staggered hours) to some employees, namely those with a child under six, or a disabled child under 18, or a carer of a dependent adult.

While some companies may see the flexible working laws as constricting their business, it can actually be a very positive thing to offer employees. It can lead to more efficient use of time, by cutting out the daily commute; it is often considered to be a perk by the employee (which could be a less expensive alternative to a pay rise); and it can reduce the overhead cost for an employer – which can be draining for a small business.

Is your business suitable?

Firstly, you should assess whether your business is suitable for offering home working. The areas that tend to work best are sales, marketing and customer services – anything that is phone-based; jobs that can be done with remote access, such as IT support, or training; writing or research-based jobs, such as copywriting, editing, and research; and some administrative and finance jobs. There are even a growing number of ‘virtual’ PAs these days.

Personality types

Then, consider personality type. Time management skills, self-motivation, discipline and basic IT skills are critical to any home worker. Sometimes, business owners have to look closely at their own behaviour, too – if you are going to let people work from home, you have to trust them to get on with the job, giving you regular updates, but not micro-managing them. This can require a cultural shift for some managers, or business heads.

Physical requirements

There are physical requirements for a home office that you should consider. A home office should have a work space and a reasonable working environment; and somewhere secure to keep any confidential information. Don’t forget that you are still liable for your employees, wherever they work, so you should ensure that the have up-to-date security both in their home and on their PC.

If you are setting up a home office for an employee, you are responsible for making sure that it complies with health and safety regulations. Either you or the employee should carry out an assessment of the home office, that includes: safety of the electrical equipment used; seating and layout of the PC workstation; adequate lighting, ventilation and temperature; and checking for obvious safety hazard such as trailing cables. You should give the home worker your feedback, and advice on health and safety, and keep a record of what has been done.

Your home worker should have a business telephone line and a PC / printer (or whatever equipment is required to do the job).

Remember – your home worker is employed by you - not self-employed – so you are still responsible for their working conditions.

You should also check your business insurance policy – make sure you are covered for home workers and their equipment. Business equipment at home is not usually covered under the home worker’s home contents insurance.

Stay in touch

Make sure your home worker doesn’t feel isolated, or cut off from the rest of the office. Keep in regular phone contact, and arrange face-to-face meetings occasionally.

Use technology for successful home working

Technology developments mean that often an employee can work from home without your customers noticing. Most telecoms operators will re-route calls if you want to use a landline and intranets mean that you can keep everyone up to speed with company news and information.

Hosted databases, and remote access solutions mean that you can keep your home worker connected with email, databases and office files. Again, make sure that you provide proper Internet security to protect your information, and your hardware, from unauthorised access, or attack.

Check your employee contract

You may need to change it if the original contract specifies your office as the place of work, or if there are other material changes to the job. Most likely, you will be able to draft a modification to the existing contract, that both you and the employee agree and sign.

Make sure you are clear on terms, such as what is company property, what the company will pay for (such as telephone lines) etc, and any changes to pay, hours, and holiday. This letter should also state that the employee agrees to comply with health and safety regulations. It is important that both parties agree, so that the employee doesn’t feel pressured into changing their working conditions (as this could lead to a charge of constructive dismissal).

Home working benefits

The benefits to employers can include: better productivity and efficiency; more efficient use of time; reduced levels of sick leave; and being able to offer a low-cost benefit to potential and existing staff.

Potential pitfalls

You need to make sure that you stay in touch with your employee – it may sound obvious, but it can be easy to lose control over what they are doing. Make sure you have regular meetings and telephone updates. Equally, you need to make sure that your employee doesn’t feel isolated and loses motivation. Make sure they are included on training courses, so they don’t lose skills; and set clear goals and objectives, that are reviewed regularly.

About the Author

Article written for Bytestart readers by Emmett Kilduff, CEO, cmypitch.com. For more information for small businesses on home working, and other business issues, see www.cmypitch.com.